In this Dec. 8, 2005, file photo, a man walks out the Verizon's new corporate headquarters.The Obama administration on Thursday, June 6, 2013, defended the government's need to collect telephone records of American citizens, calling such information "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats." Britain's Guardian newspaper reported that the NSA has been collecting the telephone records of millions of Verizon customers under a top secret court order. (AP Photo/Dima Gavrysh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senator Rand Paul has introduced legislation that would require a warrant before any government agency could search the phone records of Americans.

Responding to the furor over the disclosure of the National Security Agency program, Paul says the bill introduced Friday is intended to stop the NSA from spying on U.S. citizens.

The bill says the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution cannot be misconstrued to allow an unreasonable search and seizure by any agency without a warrant based on probable cause.

The Kentucky Republican and tea party favorite has been highly critical of President Barack Obama over protecting civil liberties.

Paul calls the latest revelation of a secret program to collect phone records of millions of Verizon customers “an astounding assault on the Constitution.”